Rapid Response: What's the next step after Arab Spring gives way to anti-U.S. turmoil?

Frederick Deligne/Nice-Matin

Question: What are your initial thoughts about the turmoil this week at American embassies in the Middle East, and what do you think the U.S. response should be next?

? My initial thought was this is very similar to 1979 - and we should respond by replacing the current president with the Republican nominee.

Larry Farr

Lafayette

? Other than oil, which isn't going to last that much longer, why are we even there? There are other alternatives. I think Rudyard Kipling was right.

Jim Derringer

Lafayette

? My initial though? That it was simply a matter of time. Anyone who is paying any kind of attention to what's going on around the world could have anticipated this very thing happening. What next? The U.S. needs to work with its allies and figure out how to put the Arab Spring to rest, and I think that the only way that's going to happen is if the people of the U.S. wake up and make some changes in the government - starting at the top.

Cindy Salazar

Lafayette

? The United States must begin a fundamental reappraisal of its historic interference since 1945 in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East - from bankrolling regimes in Saudi Arabia and Israel, to overthrowing and intervening in regimes in Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Libya and Syria - often making wars on Arab peoples including covert operations and drones. Western imperialism creates festering anger, which from time to time is manifest in reactive violence.

Harry Targ

West Lafayette

? Whatever the response is, I trust President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Even Fox News and the Wall Street Journal criticized Romney for injecting politics into foreign policy and putting State Department employees and their Marine guards lives at risk.

Furman A. Powell

Lafayette

? Apparently, any deals made between the Muslin Brotherhood and the White House didn't last very long. One would think that on 9/11, security would be increased at embassies around the world, as an American embassy is American soil. Why were there no Marines at the embassy in Lebanon? Oh, never mind. This is an election year.

Jim Kalish

Lafayette

? The response should be of strength, not apologetic. At the very least, we should not be borrowing money to give to a country attacking us. Also, the media should be focused on Obama's lack of response, not Romney's remarks.

Dan Sommers

West Lafayette

? Firmness, to let these new governments know they need to protect Americans, but patience, because they are still new at this democracy stuff.

Rosemary Leary

West Lafayette

? Our government should disengage from these countries ASAP to the degree that we don't have military bases or personnel, foreign aid of any sort or diplomatic corps in the country. Our government also should not interfere in any way in the internal affairs of any country, especially the volatile ones.

David Carr

West Lafayette

? Considering our domestic situation in terms of the amount of unemployed and the slow economy, I think it's more than reasonable to drastically reduce the foreign aid to Egypt and Pakistan - the latter should go to zero. As for the Libyan situation, that appears to be yet another terror attack where a number of people in charge on our side were asleep at the switch.

Frank W. James

Wolcott

? 1. Religious intolerance is a scourge on the world. 2. Don't blame the whole country or the whole religion for the actions of a few nuts. 3. Protect our embassies, but don't overreact.

Brian Primeau

Lafayette

? Quit making U.S. embassy personnel any bigger targets than they already are by changing U.S. policy, and stop interfering in the affairs of other sovereign nations while also removing the U.S. military presence from more than 120 of these countries around the world.

Kurt Fiech

Lafayette

? If the local police can't or won't protect our consuls, booby trap the joint and leave the problem to BP, or whatever corporations we are there to guard.

Ed Posey

West Lafayette

? Find them. Then bomb them.

Bob Shropshire

Lafayette

? The attack is appalling. I think that before any response is given, all the facts should be examined to see who is behind the attacks.

Mary Finnegan

Lafayette

? One thing for sure, Romney's intemperate and thoughtless politicizing remarks went beyond his normal silly to downright dangerous. Glad the adults are in charge.

? I'm wondering why our dear leader thinks he can trust any Islamist-led government to protect American interests and lives. America should start leading from a position of authority instead of appeasement.

Edward Priest

Battle Ground

? Muslims in the Middle East look for any excuse they can find to rant against the United States. Washington should not be apologetic for the actions of a handful of private citizens. I think as a next step we should cease diplomatic relations and foreign aid to both Egypt and Libya. Perhaps this would serve as a wakeup call throughout the region that America will not tolerate violent riots against its citizens abroad.

Don Shipley

West Lafayette

? I can't believe that they attack Americans because of one awful film. All this violence is not from all of us Americans. We need to not give billions of dollars to people that hate us.

Deborah Kingdollar

Colfax

? These spontaneous demonstrations and violent acts will continue as long as the White House continues to apologize for the United States being so powerful and influential. We need to use that power and influence to protect our citizens and our interests abroad.

David Dimmich

West Lafayette

? Our president tried being kind and gentle to a ruthless group of thugs, and what did it get us? Four Americans killed with an apology from our leaders. The only way to treat that kind of violence is with force. We give those people millions of dollars every year. You can't buy respect. Might is the answer.

Jon Sexson

Lafayette

? Shock, disbelief and sorrow for the people and families for those who lost their lives in the line of service of their country. I am totally appalled at Egypt for not being able to stop violence. As for Libya, all Americans should leave the country then close the borders.

Dennis Donoho

Sedalia

? Sad there are people who do such things. Defend our embassies with bullets. We should cut our aid to them in half, and tell them if it happens again, we cut it all.

Jack Lahrman

Sheffield Township

? Egypt, Libya, and Yemen are in political turmoil, and the attacks are being used by one Islamic sect to garner influence after being shut out of their interim governments politically. The U.S. should pursue those terrorists in Libya responsible for the attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens, and at the same time should arrest the producers of the offending film, "Innocence of Muslims," for inciting a hate crime, and publicly denounce its content and message.

Jerry Hirschinger

West Lafayette

? This highlights the difficulties in understanding between two very disparate cultures. Those protesting don't understand our protection of free speech - even taunting, hateful speech. Those making fun of another's religion don't understand the deep anger - anger worthy of murder in the eyes of those believers - at the insults hurled. Education of both might help. I hope for some increase in maturity on both sides.

Noemi Ybarra

Lafayette

? This is proof of the CIA theory of blowback: They are attacking us because of our overbearing presence in their countries. Paul Wolfowitz warned just before the 9/11 attacks that we risk being attacked because we had U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia. Americans would eventually do the same thing if Russian or Chinese soldiers were stationed throughout the United States. Remember the movie, "Red Dawn?" Our response should be to adopt a new foreign policy where we only deploy the Army after a proper congressional declaration of war.

John Pickerill

Crawfordsville

? Thanks to a crazy Christian fundamentalist people are dead. What should we do now? Let the police and intelligence service do their jobs. There is nothing to get overly excited about in this case.

Allen Pugh

Lafayette

? 1. Why weren't the embassies on high alert in these areas in anticipation of 9/11 events? 2. Why must we continue to apologize for alleged "hurt feelings" from mystical religious interpretations? 3. Why was Romney accused by the media instead of the commander in chief? 4. How can we communicate with radicals, that our society and culture are based on freedom, which will be defended. 5. Does anyone not think that these attacks were planned, and based on our predictable, pusillanimous responses?

John Childress

Linden

? As a country, the U.S. is widely, actually uncontrollably, envied by much of this part of the world. The religious issue (Muslims vs. Christians and Jews) somewhat masks the pent-up, deep hatred of Americans. Some of those deemed allies today may evolve into enemies tomorrow. I fear we are being more deeply drawn into an endless conflict we cannot truly win. The turmoil, most grievously highlighted by the embassy deaths, may be the forerunner of expanded heinous atrocities.

Jim Hanks

West Lafayette

? As it is doing now, the administration should cooperate with Libyan authorities to find out who is responsible. Obviously the U.S. cannot take some knee jerk, "big stick" reaction, as some would propose, unless the facts are as clear as can be. Facts have a funny way of getting in the way of opinions. Once it is known, if that develops, as it has done in the past many times, the Obama administration seems to have no problem in acting with "extreme prejudice."

Bill Cochran

Lafayette

? My initial thought is wondering why in the world we are in this region, and what do we ever hope to achieve with the tumultuous situation that exists. Let the country work through its revolution and deal with what they come up with when a government surfaces that's worth dealing with. Our response is and should be to hunt the savages down and take appropriate action as we catch them - leaving that specific up to the troops on the ground to decide. Great task for special ops teams for sure. We should not under any circumstances get involved in another full-scale war. We just aren't that great at limited wars.

Bud Wang

Lafayette

? This is a result of our poor diplomacy in the Middle East. Our president is doing a poor job.

Mark Acles

Lafayette

? We need to protect our embassies and then find and punish those responsible for the atrocities. If we can't or won't do both of these, we need to remove our embassies and withdraw our aid. Quit giving them our tax dollars.

Terry Smith

Shadeland

? I don't think you want to know what should be done.

Cliff Davenport

Rossville

? Our response should be one of outrage, not only against the perpetrators, but also against for president for leaving the White House to go campaigning. What kind of leadership is that? Four of our fellow Americans have been murdered. We need to teach these countries a lesson they will never forget. We are viewed as being weak. We should put an end to this idea by ending all foreign aid to the Muslim countries, bring all of our men home Iraq and Afghanistan, and by bringing about justified retribution. Our government should also deport any Muslim who is not a U.S. citizen.

Carolyn Kalberer-Foust

Lafayette

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Rapid Response: What's the next step after Arab Spring gives way to anti-U.S. turmoil?

Question: What are your initial thoughts about the turmoil this week at American embassies in the Middle East, and what do you think the U.S.